VANDALIA, Ill. — An attempt to separate the former Sorento School students from Bond County CUSD 2 has failed.
After 5 hours of debate, the Regional Board of School Trustees voted 6-1 to deny the petition that would have allowed Sorento students to join the Mt. Olive School District on the basis that there was no real educational benefit.
“I don’t think the board gave due consideration to the evidence that we presented,” said Sorento parent Melissa Goymerac.
According to the plaintiffs, 190 of the 304 landowners in the Sorento School boundary signed the petition supporting detachment along with roughly 75% of the registered voters in the area.
Bond County Superintendent Dr. Wes Olsen told the board that losing the Sorento students would have cost his district at least $800,000 annually in lost tax revenues.
In January, the Bond County School Board voted to shutter Sorento School and redistribute the 107 students between district schools in Pocahontas and Greenville.
“As a former educator myself I never would’ve voted to close Sorento School unless I was certain that our Sorento students would continue to be given every opportunity to succeed in our district,” said Bond Co. School Board President Randi Workman.
Despite the defeat at the Regional Office of Education, many Sorento parents told 5 On Your Side they are refusing to send their kids to Bond Co. Community Schools.
It’s believed that roughly 25% of Sorento parents are now home-schooling their children or paying out-of-district tuition for their child to attend another school.
“I can only imagine all of these little kids in Sorento that will miss all eight grades there,” said Allan Tipsword. “These little children are the only ones who didn’t get to come in here and give their 5 minutes to say how they feel.”